thearena | (no subject)

Entry tags:

(no subject)

Who: Ruby and you!

What: Hanging about.

When: Early week Six.

Where: Fantasyland (because sooper magic powers)

Warnings: None yet.

Ruby didn't like straying from Snow. Not even for these precious few minutes while she scrounged for food. if it wasn't for her powers she doubted she'd be able to bring herself to do it... But she knew she that she could reach Snow's side in a heartbeat. She could smell the woman, among the rotting food and rubble. She could hear the steady heartbeat as she listened for any signs of trouble.

It was probably a bit stalkerish. She had to admit that. But it was just... this version of snow was still so young, it seemed. So innocent... and Ruby wanted to keep her that way. She knew full well what would await Snow if - when - they got home... She was determined to spare snow those feelings for as long as she was capable. With every ounce of power she had.

First, though, there was the little matter of them not starving. Little inhalations of breath as she tried to pick up the scent of fresh cooked meat. Vegetables. Anything, really - at least enough for her friend...

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Sadly, Cuthbert wasn't bringing any good scents with him as he explored, but he was bringing a fair amount of noise. He didn't seem the least bit concerned that people might hear him, even going so far as to invite interruption, or at least that's what the whistling would imply.

A sharp pair of eyes would see that he had managed to kill some kind of small animal which he was carrying with him like a prize.

She could smell the food - but mixed with another person as it was... It wasn't that she didn't believe she could. But they weren't that desperate yet, that she'd resort to thievery.

Still, he was effectively in her territory now - that meant he needed watching. She stalked him from a little bit behind as a result, taking coverage from the rubble and moving silently.

If he noticed that he wasn't alone, he wasn't letting it show. Although his relaxed demeanor might seem more contrived from close up. He was new, but he had been told about the game he was playing, he just didn't seem to see the point in lying low.

He stopped to pick at some of the rubble, looking for anything that might be of use and coming away with a handful of pea sized gravel which he stuffed in his pocket for later.

A good idea - something Ruby might duplicate later... though she really wasn't into the killing thing, either. With her speed and strength, she'd rather give them a quick knock out than anything.

She continued walking. She wouldn't follow him out of the territory, or too far from Snow... If he intended to surprise her, she had better do it quick. If he intended to get away, there was still time for that too.

He wasn't so much for surprises, but he didn't intend to go all this way without at least meeting whoever was following him.

"Care to come out so we might see each other on even terms?"

He hadn't really gone to the trouble to find people because he wanted to kill them, but he still needed to know what he was up against. He was aware and at peace with the fact that he might take a few wounds away for his efforts, but the risk was worth the reward.

"...You could hear me?" she sounded a little surprised, taking a sniff to see if she couldn't detect anything nonhuman about him - nothing obvious, just a flaring of the nostrils... But it would be enough to tell her what she needed to with luck.

She was a little suspicious of him, still, but he hadn't shown any desire to hurt her or her friend so far.

Edited 2013-04-29 23:12 (UTC)

"Nay, but you would be surprised how often that works."

He was so very pleased with himself, the last few times he'd said that there wasn't anyone there. But it had to work eventually. He turned, prepared for a fight, but reluctant to make the first move against a woman.

"Were you going to attack or just watch?"

"Shouldn't I be asking you?" she questioned, glancing him over.

"You're the one who picked up rocks..." Yeah. She saw that. She sees a lot of things - and hears, for that matter... Like heartbeats. They sound like hammering to her ears, and she's listening for any signs that he's going to attack.

Cuthbert's heart rate has been up since Ruby made her appearance, but he hasn't made a move yet and he isn't sure he will. It's not really part of his usual job description to kill women, or innocents. And other than following him silently she hadn't been aggressive toward him yet. This was turning into a standoff.

"Can a man not take rocks with him if it pleases him? There is hardly ill intent in it. I simply needed something to weigh down my pocket."

Ruby didn't respond directly, but looked him up and down as she considered options. If it was just her, she could avoid him... but she has to keep this territory safe for Snow. "You should leave."

"Or what? If you intend to kill me, I won't go easy." He did tense with that, readying himself for a fight he felt certain he could win.

"Though perhaps we might end this without blood. Tell me where I might find fresh water and I will leave without another word."

Ruby was pretty sure of her own victory, for that matter - but she didn't really want a fight either. Besides, water was simple enough: it had been the first thing she'd gone to look for.

The main trick - as always - was keeping him away from Snow while getting him there. "This way," she promised him, gesturing as she turned. If he wanted to attack, that was the time... though her stance was guarded, at least she couldn't see him.

Edited 2013-04-30 22:55 (UTC)

He was more concerned that she would lead him into an ambush or a trap. But if she's willing to turn her back to him, that could be a good sign. Cuthbert followed at a slight distance, no use being close enough to be hit or grabbed at.

"Can you not simply tell me which way to go?"

"Maybe," she admitted, trying not to let him see the fidgetting of her hands. she plucked up her skirts to stop them from wringing as she started toward the stream.

"If I trusted you."

"You trust me enough to show your back."

As they walked he was randomly throwing the stones he picked up at anything that interests him. He was looking for small game, and more importantly, traps. But that wasn't really something he thought he needed to explain.

"That's not trust," she admitted, back a little stiff. "I can hear your heartbeat." The other powers she would keep under wraps. She didn't use them half as much as her senses, anyhow.

"And you can stop with the underbrush. You're wasting amo." That was just an educated guess.

"'Tis my ammunition to waste."

He did stop, though. If she really could hear everything around them it was useless to do any more.

"What would you do if I could still my heart and still attack?"

Not that he really thought he could, but he could certainly try.

"You can't hide from a wolf," she promised him. "Your footsteps are pretty loud, too."

She would actually be a bit more worried about him than her if the heartbeat stilled all together. short of that, she thought she would be able to figure out if he was getting closer to her.

"Come on. We're almost there."

"I have killed stronger wolves than you."

And that wasn't just talk, he had shot a pack of mutant wolves not all that long before he came here. He was still keeping his distance from her, letting his better judgement dictate his actions.

He was keeping his ears open too, listening for the sounds of water. This could still be a trap.

"Maybe," she said. "But I won't let you kill me." She wonders if he'd say that, if he saw her other form, but she doesn't want to start a challenge. She didn't want to kill. She just wanted to keep Snow safe...

The water isn't far. She'll guide him to it, so long as she doesn't have to leave the area. Her powers are useless outside of Fantasyland, and she can't protect Snow if she's dead.

Unless her other form had more than 2 heads and stood taller than he did it wouldn't be above and beyond what he had already seen and killed. But that was when he had his guns still, and the loss was still one he felt keenly, especially now.

He had a moment of decision where he had to figure out if he was going to drink and try to keep an eye on her at the same time. Surely she wouldn't drag him all the way out here to kill him, but he didn't want to find out the hard way.

"Thankee for the help. I would hardly be a gentleman if I killed a lovely lady such as yourself after she gave me her aid."

He made a very quick bow and waited for her to either attack or leave before he would take a drink.

Five feet tall, ten feet long, and armed with super strength - though all of that would admittedly be useless when faced by a rifle.

She didn't have her form, though - and he didn't have a gun. Since neither of them seemed like they planned to kill each other...

She hesitated only a moment, before turning back. She'd disappear behind any covering she could find soon enough.

That was enough for her to leave and when he was sure he didn't hear any other sounds from her direction he finally bent down to drink.

There wasn't much left to be done. The number of people still alive and roaming the Arena were dwindling, more and more faces exposed in the sky for the world to see and mourn - or celebrate. Neither option, in Hyperion's case. He simply looked and moved on. It was part of the game. A game he increasingly enjoyed, despite the hunger and exhaustion and paranoia.

His clothes were tainted beyond repair, beyond reasonable explanation. Blood was all over, from victims, rivals and his own bruises, making him look like nothing less than a survivor, either battered or crazed, depending on the eye of the beholder.

Calm was apparent in his movements, spear in one hand, also brandished with blood, pocketed knife safely hidden. The smell of death was obvious enough to passersby - let alone people with enhanced senses.

Ruby was still new... still not used to the games - but definitely not enjoying them. She was on high guard, watching for threats again st herself or more importantly Snow. Snow, who seemed more defenseless than she had in a long time.

She wasn't interested in a fight, but this man was too close to their camp for her to ignore him. She'd prefer it if he left without knowing they were there, but if he got too close to where Snow was she would take steps.

No need to jump to conclusions, though. She'd start off following him at a distance, watching to see whether he was likely to bypass the camp.

There was no way he'd ignore it, not when he'd been alone for so long, looking for the next new thing. Whether it ended in violence was up to fate, really. Up to the virus in the back of his brain, nurturing the need for blood, the need to slash throats and bash heads. It was quieter when he moved away from Tomorrowland, but it was ever present.

Eventually he stopped, eyes locked on the sky again, as if waiting for something to happen. After a moment of pause he turned his head over his shoulder. Whether he could see the woman in the distance remained unclear.

Ruby froze when he did, eyes locked on him. Her heart was bearing rapidly, though not with blood lust. Territoriality maybe. The wolf kn her didn't like him in her territory anymore than the human did.

Her senses were bent toward his next reaction, listening for his heartbeat to give her a clue. Even at that distance a normal heartbeat would sound like a hammer to her. And the distance itself was something she could cross with the blink of an eye.... though to be truthful, she really wasn't used to using her powers this much.

Finally he turned the remainder of his body, spear held firmly in his palm, fingers curling just a little tighter with his eyes on her figure. He would have liked that thought, had he been aware of it, that the girl could listen to his heart beat as loud as a hammer. It was a strong image, one that fit who and what he was. After all, machinery had turned him into what he was - something repulsively more than human.

"Am I interrupting something?"

As a werewolf - born if not quite raised - Ruby wasn't sure how human she counted herself... but those were questions for later. When she didn't need to hold herself so stiffly or regard every new face as a threat.

"You're in my... territory." It felt a little silly, to use a "wolf" word like that - but it seemed appropriate, at least.

Edited 2013-05-01 07:57 (UTC)

"In your territory?" He arched his brows, the corner of his lips tugging, amused by the thought. It was no man's land everywhere he went, as far as he was concerned. No one could really claim it. Not when death came so easily, so readily. "I didn't realize it belonged to someone."

"Well it does." She tried to keep her voice firm as she said that, chin set defiantly. Maybe it would be better to take the offensive, but she doesn't want to risk starting blood shed.

"So leave."

"I will." That was a promise, completely void of fear or reassurance. He could simply be stating a fact - and he was. Hyperion didn't stay in one place for long, and he went wherever he wished. No one was in a position to change that for him, and this woman was not about to be the first. "In time."

She moved first a few feet away from him then suddenly right in front, quick enough you'd need super senses to keep up. She was hoping he lacked them, because she was already reaching for where she remembered his neck being.

She didn't want to hurt him. Maybe lift him off the ground and throw him. Show him why he had to stay away. There was no way she was letting him stay this close to Snow.

Edited 2013-05-04 05:53 (UTC)

Something close to a choked sound escaped Hyperion's throat, muscles tensing and hands opening to stare, surprised and completely displeased with how he was caught off-guard. He'd like to say this was an impressive move, but irritation had a louder voice inside his head.

He gritted his teeth unpleasantly, hands reaching for her wrists, either to pry them off or somehow control how much strength was applied around his neck.

"You're not--going to kill me."

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only